


Music

by fangirl_squee



Series: homies help homies, always [31]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-28
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-13 07:15:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/821508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras picks Grantaire up from the community centre for a date, and ends up learning a little more about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Music

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: For tumblr user thosebarricadeboys, who requested something with Grantaire playing a cover of Hallelujah (like George Blagden did), and this was going to be mainly about that but then there were all these feelings.
> 
> George Blagden's cover: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZMScOsHykQ  
> (WARNING: this is one of those things where as you watch it you can feel your life being ruined because George Blagden)
> 
> References to Volunteering, Lessons, and Sleepover, and set after Morning Defence.

Enjolras turns into the community centre parking lot, and pulls into the space next to Marius’ car. It feels almost strange to be there for a reason not related to Les Amis, and he hadn’t seen Grantaire while he was working at the centre since the first time, when Cosette had dragged him to see Grantaire running the holiday program.

 

He’d assumed that was the only work, volunteering or otherwise that Grantaire did at the centre, but apparently he was there more often than Enjolras thought. When he’d asked Grantaire to dinner earlier that day, Grantaire had made a face.

 

“I’d be way too late for dinner. I’ve got work at the community centre tonight, and by the time I get to dinner we’d basically have to leave. I know you like to get a proper sleep before your early class tomorrow. Maybe another night?” Grantaire smiled, but Enjolras was learning to look for the tightness around the eyes that meant Grantaire was unhappy but trying to pretend not to be.

 

“I can just pick you up from the community centre. That way we can still spend the time together while we travel to wherever we’re going,” said Enjolras.

 

“Are you sure? You don’t have to go out of your way, I know you’re busy.”

 

“It’s not out of my way to see you, I _want_ to see you. I want …” Enjolras paused, searching for the right words, “I want to be where you are.”

 

Grantaire smiled, and this time it lit up his whole face. “Okay then. I’ll see you tonight.”

 

Grantaire wasn’t waiting out the front, and he wasn’t in the foyer. The only light in the long hallway came from a slightly ajar door at the end. Enjolras could hear music, and it wasn’t until he got closer that he realised it was Grantaire’s voice.

 

_Baby I’ve been here before_  
I know this room, I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew you.

 

Enjolras, surprisingly, actually knows this song (not due to a sudden burst of pop culture knowledge - it’s one of Cosette’s favourites). He pushes open the door slowly, not wanting to alert Grantaire to his arrival. He knows Grantaire can play guitar, and Grantaire has mentioned busking the few times he’s talked about his travelling days, but Enjolras didn’t know Grantaire could sing.

 

Grantaire sways slightly from side to side with the rhythm of the music, and doesn’t even seem to need to look at his hand movements on the strings. He’s facing away from Enjolras, and Enjolras eye follow the movement of his shoulders underneath the thin fabric of his t-shirt. This is probably why it takes him a few moments to realise that Grantaire is not the room’s only occupant.

 

A pre-teen girl plays piano along the same melody as Grantaire, brow furrowed in concentration as she looks at the keys. She and Grantaire are the only people _not_ staring at Enjolras, and he feels his cheeks warm a little.

 

The room is crowded, and Enjolras, Grantaire, and Marius look to be the only ones out of puberty. Most of the teenagers are still in their school uniforms, and Enjolras can see at least four different school represented in the thirty or so in the room. It’s a pretty even split between those seated at a table with Marius (along with what appears to be a good chunk of a library spread in front of them), and those sitting around Grantaire with instruments of their own.

 

Marius smiles at Enjolras, before turning back to the redheaded boy seated next to him, pointing at something in the workbook that’s set between them. The two of them talk quietly to one another, and it’s like a signal - Enjolras can feel the room’s focus shift off him slightly. He looks back to Grantaire.

 

Enjolras feels transfixed by Grantaire’s voice as the song comes to a close. Grantaire’s voice is nothing short of amazing, and Enjolras can’t believe he’s never heard his before now. The girl at the piano turns to Grantaire, grinning wide. Grantaire waves a hand at her, and the group around them clap. The girl blushes faintly.

 

“Well done Katie! You’re going to great at your recital next week, seriously. There’s just a couple of things you should watch for, like – Enjolras!” Grantaire almost drops his guitar. “When did you get here?”

 

“Somewhere around the second verse,” says Marius, grinning over at them.

 

Enjolras frowns. “I’ve never heard you play before. You’re very good.”

 

Now it’s Grantaire’s turn to blush, a faint pink staining his cheeks. “Thanks. Uh, there’s just a couple of things I have to go over with Katie and then we can head out? Do you mind waiting?”

 

“It’s fine,” says Enjolras.

 

Grantaire smiles and him, and goes to sit on the piano bench. He plays a short burst of the song, and Katie copies his movements. Another first – he’s never seen Grantaire play piano either. Enjolras moves to stand near Marius, mainly so that he’s not tempted to continue staring at Grantaire.

 

Marius smiles up at him, and knocks on the table to get his group’s attention. “Everyone, this is Grantaire’s boyfriend Enjolras, so be nice.”

 

“I’m always nice,” says a boy with hair that flops slightly into his eyes.

 

The red-headed boy next to Marius laughs. “Sure, you’re a rain of sunshine.”

 

“A kitten!” says the girl next to him.

 

“A veritable boy scout!” says another boy.

 

“All right, all right,” says Marius, “everybody calm down. Adrian, you’re nice enough to function in society, and the rest of you aren’t exactly being nice right now, so I’d say everyone’s equal.”

 

He looks as if he’s about to say something to Enjolras, but one of the girls clears her throat awkwardly. “Marius, how good are you with remembering historical dates? I’m supposed to have these memorised for my test but I just can’t get them to stick. I mean, I’ve tried writing them down, but it doesn’t seem to help.”

 

Marius moves around the table to crouch next to her, and the two bend their heads over her notes. Enjolras looks over towards Grantaire, who’s finishing up with Katie.

 

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow, but if you’ve got any problems or whatever you know how to use a phone,” says Grantaire to the rest of his group, “Marius is going to be here a little while longer, so if you wanted to get some study done now’s probably a good time to do it.”

 

Enjolras moves towards him at the same time as Grantaire is moving towards him, and Grantaire twines their hands together.

 

“I’m all yours,” says Grantaire, “sorry to keep you waiting.”

 

“It’s okay, I wasn’t waiting long,” says Enjolras.

 

They both wave as they leave, and Marius and the others wave back. Enjolras waits until they’re outside the community centre before he says, “I didn’t know you and Marius taught classes here.”

 

Grantaire fidgets a little, the hand that’s not in Enjolras’ grip going to fiddle with his beanie. “It sort of happened by accident? I was here doing a mural last year and some kids were using one of the rooms to practise. They were having trouble, so I offered to help them out and I guess it kind of became this regular thing I did. Eventually Joanne asked me to stay on in, like, an official capacity. Marius kind of got suckered into it when he came to pick me up a couple of months ago, and now he runs tutoring sessions when he can make enough time after class. The kids really like him.”

 

“They seemed to really like you too,” says Enjolras. He doesn’t want to push too much, Grantaire so rarely talks about anything he did prior to joining Les Amis, and Enjolras doesn’t want this to become a fight the way Grantaire’s parents had been. They’re both still a little hesitant around each other.

 

Thankfully, Grantaire smiles at him. “Yeah, I guess so. They’re mostly good kids, and the ones who get into trouble are doing the same dumb stuff that I did at their age. More of them have started coming to the centre now, which is good. I mean, it cuts down on the amount of time they have to shoplift or something.”

 

Enjolras smiles back. “That’s great, I mean, you’re really helping.”

 

“I guess,” says Grantaire. His tone is neutral, but his smile widens at Enjolras’ words.

 

They have to separate so Enjolras can unlock the car, and he waits until they’re both seated before he asks his next question. “Grantaire, why didn’t you ever tell me you did this?”

 

Grantaire fidgets again, not looking at Enjolras. “I’m just teaching a bunch of teenagers to play guitars. It’s not exactly saving the world.”

 

“Hey.” Enjolras reaches over and grabs Grantaire’s hands. “If it’s important to you, then it’s important. It’s not the same of destroying a system of oppression, but you’re helping people. That’s _important_.”

 

Grantaire looks down at their hands and then back up at Enjolras. “Do you really mean that?”

 

“Of course I mean it,” says Enjolras, “I wouldn’t have said it if I hadn’t mean it.”

 

Grantaire smiles, and Enjolras notices how close their faces are to one another. “Just checking.”

 

Enjolras smiles back, and closes the gap between them.

 

They don’t make it to dinner to their dinner reservation in time, so they end up getting toasted sandwiches from the twenty-four hour deli across from Enjolras’ apartment.

 

It’s totally worth it.

 

 

(Marius is in the kitchen, doing his own studying, when Grantaire home. “I hope you know I basically endured an hour long questioning session about ‘Grantaire’s totally hot boyfriend’.”

 

Grantaire laughs, sitting next to Marius and moving one his books out of the way to find a blank patch of table to draw on. “Really?”

 

“Yes really,” says Marius, and he grins, “I almost just sent them out to the parking lot to talk to you about it, but I thought if you and Enjolras were parked there _that_ long then you were probably busy.” Grantaire’s pencil skids along the table, and Marius laughs. “I take it you didn’t make it to dinner.”

 

“We got dinner! Just not at the place we were going to go originally," says Grantaire.

 

Marius nudges him, laughing a little, and Grantaire nudges back, resting his head on Marius’ shoulder.

 

“But you had a good time?” asks Marius. “I mean, for the second post-fight date?”

 

“Yeah,” says Grantaire, and Marius can feel the edge of his smile against his shoulder.)

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always loved: fangirl-squee.tumblr.com/ask


End file.
